At the Show With HEAVE: February Edition
Midstates, Camera, and House of Normandie made our list for this February's show
As you may or may not know, HEAVEmedia has a monthly concert series in Chicago that features bands that we think everyone should be listening to. However we know that some of our readers don't live in Chicago or are unable to attend some of our shows. Which brings around a new feature called At the Show. In these articles we'll do short profiles on each of the bands that are playing or have played our shows in Chicago and why we think you should be listening to them. Our first At the Show features the three bands that played our February 3rd show at the Empty Bottle:
House of Normandie – Watching House of Normandie play at the Empty Bottle, you'd think that this band had been playing for seven years instead of about four. The band had a crowd of people around them, most of which were House of Normandie fans that knew almost every word to their songs. House of Normandie has become popular in Chicago because of their devoted fan base and of course, their music. Where the other two bands of the night certainly had electronic elements to them, House of Normandie offered something entirely different to the show. Hard-hitting guitar beats and piercing vocals made up the band's set, and the variation in sound was quite refreshing. They may be younger than the next two bands but their professionalism was still up there.
Camera – Many bands may try and compare themselves to Joy Division and the Talking Heads, but few can be as accurate as Camera can. This trio from Chicago is a blast from the past, sliding easily into the early new wave genre that the two aforementioned bands pioneered. Bassist Ryan Aylward even moves around the stage like a combination of David Byrne and Ian Curtis, with very sharp and sudden movements and that wide-eyed look on his face. Camera's latest EP Fire & Science reflects the band's love for that post-punk sound, with songs like “Wicked Wicked Games” showcasing the talent and poise this band has for music. This band is smart, no doubt about it. The band's sharp sound and their precise showmanship makes their live show go above and beyond the normal band. Camera's new album Realpolitik comes out later this year.
Midstates & the Choir of Ghosts – Midstates & the Choir of Ghosts released a new single Hate to See You Smile right before they played the HEAVEmedia show on February 3rd. Judging on the one song that's on it, their single is a definite preview of what's to come for the Chicago band. Midstates officially became Midstates & the Choir of Ghosts in 2009 when drummer Jose Rodriguez joined original member Paul Heintz to revamp the band. Since then the two have been hard at work on their upcoming release Morning Pacific, which is due out later this year on Mental Monkey Records. Their single “Hate to See You Smile” is electronic music meets classic ballads, as if Gene Kelly found the internet and did a dance about it. It's stripped down from their previous work but without sacrificing Heitz and Rodriguez's vision for what Midstates & the Choir of Ghost is evolving into.
Posted by Amy Dittmeier on Feb 09, 2010 @ 11:00 am